Hey there comic buyer. If you are facing the nightmarish heat of summer and contemplating leaping off a bridge to escape it, don’t  jump! Well, unless it’s a bridge over a river, then I commend you for your reasonable methods of cooling off. For the rest of us not situated near a bridge and or river the best we can do is lock ourselves away with a stack of comics like so many 90’s clichés.

If you are sweating your days away without any idea of what to buy for the horrifyingly warm month of September, worry not–Panel Bound has some ideas for you. Here are a few September releases we are excited about (Spoiler alert: The Walking Dead is one of them, duh).

Skullkickers #18 

Listen, if you’re not reading Skullkickers by now it is solely because you have failed as a person. Luckily, Skullkickers #18 is the perfect starting off point for anyone looking to get into this series. This issue is a “Tavern Tales” issue, which essentially is a collection of short stories taking place within the Skullkicker universe. Every one of these short stories requires no previous knowledge of the series other than it’s about mercenaries who beat the piss out of monsters and are pretty psyched about it.

The Creep #1

Long-time writing partner of Mike Mignola and B.P.R.D writer John Arcudi is doing something outside of the typical paranormal setting he seems accustomed to. The Creep looks to be a heavily noir influenced comic with a plot about a grizzled detective and teen suicides. I know it sounds unbearably depressing but the good news is John Arcudi is a top notch writer. So, if it is dark, at least it will be the kind of darkness that neither you nor I can possibly escape from.

New York Drawings

Legendary artists and writer Adrian Tomine is a master of capturing the miniature moments that exist between pivotal points in our lives. It is in these small, often sad, moments that Tomine’s craft exists. Whether it’s making eye contact with a passing stranger or the silence filled bedroom of a couple on the verge of collapse, Tomine illustrates them with brutally honest detail and feeling.

The Walking Dead #102

What other comic series can ruin your day more than The Walking Dead? The answer is of course, no other comic series. The official description for The Walking Dead #102 reads: “The survivors attempt to pick up the pieces after what they’ve just lived through.” Can you imagine a more depressing description for a comic? Dammit, this comic was dark but never this dark. Seriously, is anyone else reading this book?